Dictionary
plu•to•nism
Pronunciation: (plOOt'n-iz"um), [key]—
n. Geol.
1. the intrusion of magma and associated deep-seated processes within the earth's crust.
2. (often cap.) the disproven theory that all rocks formed by solidification of a molten mass, promulgated by Scottish geologist James Hutton (1726–97).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.